He leans back and crosses his arms. I can see it in his eyes before he even opens his mouth.
Too bad. So sad.
There's something almost peaceful about not being able to feel things.
"Good," he says. "That's what we pay you for, right?"
Welp.
So much for that.
"You're right." I nod, very pleasantly. "It is. The club doesn't need somepatheticgirl hanging around without pulling her weight." A wink. "Better get back to work. Be good."
I don't give him room to respond. I turn on my heel and walk over to the counter to place his order with Pierre, very dignified, not looking back.
From the corner of my eye, I watch one of his old flames slide up to his booth. She’s leaning in, using every weapon in her arsenal to get a rise out of him. Normally, it would work. Tomcat is like an overeager puppy around a willing woman, except it’s his dick wagging instead of a tail.
But he doesn't budge. He scowls, dismissing her with a coldness that mirrors my own. I feel a treacherous tendril of warmth slip through my ribs.
He didn't want her.
Surprising.
Damn him.
The other brothers start filtering in just as she stomps off, and his eyes cut straight to mine like he knew exactly where I'd be looking. The smile that crosses his face when he catches me is slow and unbearably smug.
Then, the arrogant bastard sends a kiss sailing my way.
I think I swoon.
Maybe.
Physically impossible to confirm, given the current numbness situation, but the evidence suggests yes.
Outwardly, I raise one brow, put my nose in the air, and rotate away from him with great dignity to go check on my other tables.
The other brothers cycle in and out all day.
Tomcat stays.
And watches.
He's not even trying to be subtle about it. I can feel his eyes moving over me every time I cross the room, tracking me through the diner with that focused, patient quality that does things to my composure I refuse to acknowledge.
Is she my stalker?
Is she not?
I can feel the questions coming off him from across the room, batting against me every time I get too close. And honestly? I'm a little aggravated. I'm not ready for him to figure it out yet. That's my reveal, and he's out here trying to steal it with his stupid pretty eyes and his stupid patience and his stupid…
I refill someone's coffee and smile at them very normally.
He can wait.
A girl’s entitled to her secrets.
The sun has finally surrendered to the night when the commotion in front of the house pulls me out of the office. The air in the diner is thick, charged with heated electricity.